chapter six & seven

(chapters one, two, three&four, five)

CHAPTER SIX

Princess Celia trudged on. The forest was thinning. A clearing appeared ahead. There was a tiny crunch. Perhaps it was a squirrel… Celia sighed. She had yet to see a single squirrel.  She slid behind a tree and peered around. She jerked back. There in the clearing stood a young man, clutching a bow and arrow.  She gulped. What now? 

Before she could decide, he yelled. “OW!” She started, and risked another glance around the tree. He was throwing his bag off his back, and rubbing his back.   

 “You little rascal!” he said, half amused, half angrily. Celia looked around to see what he was talking to.

“A squirrel!” the words escaped her lips before she could stop them. The young man started, glancing up, his bow aimed at her head.   

“Oh! You startled me. I thought you were a deer. You’re lucky I didn’t shoot,” the man said, looking a little worried. 

“You startled me, too!” said the Princess, her eyes fixed on the squirrel, who was on his haunches nibbling a mushroom. 

“Oh…he’s so funny!” she smiled, as the squirrel darted into a tuft of grass, than scampered to her shoe and nibbled the toe. 

The young man grimaced. “Would you like him? He would just be another mouth to feed at my house. I picked him up because he was so small. I don’t have any pity for him now… the little rascal just bit me!” 

“Oh, could I keep him?” asked Celia, looking at Leo (for that was who he was).   

“It’s fine with me. He doesn’t belong to me. I don’t know whether the little fellow will let you hold him though.” Leo was looking at the girl. He always liked it when others liked animals. This girl seemed to love squirrels… 

“Thank you!” she said, gently scooping the squirrel into her hand, and cuddling it.  That’s so nice of him… she thought, glancing at the young man.  She smiled suddenly remembered her manners. 

“I’m Princess Celia.” 

“Ah!  Your highness!” Leo bowed a little awkwardly. “Nice to meet you. I’m Leo,” he added. A princess…she has a pretty name, though, thought Leo. 

“What are you doing here?” asked Celia.   

“I’m hunting for my family,” said Leo.  

How brave! He feeds his family! thought Celia. 

“But a better question might be what are you doing here?” asked Leo. 

“Well,” started Celia, smiling, “I was trying to catch a squirrel, but you have done that for me!”  

She does like animals! thought Leo, smiling.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“She MUST be somewhere!” cried the king, face red with exertion.  He was sweating, and panting, and moving as fast as he could, but that did not conceal the fact that he was at the very back of the army, and they were slowly pulling away from him. His weight was not helping him any, either. “WE,” he gasped, “MUST,” he panted, “FIND,” he wheezed, “HER!” he collapsed in a heap. The army marched on. “Listen!” whispered a man in the front ranks. “I hear something!” The army surged forward.

~

“Listen!” whispered Leo, “I hear something!”

he drew an arrow to the string, and motioned Celia to his side. Probably a rabbit. But it could be a deer… Let it be a deer…let it be a deer… he thought longingly. 

                                                                    ~

“PRINCESS!” cried the front ranks of the Eastern army as they broke through the surrounding trees of the glade.

~

“OH!” cried Leo and the Princess, as the army surged toward them.

~

“CHARGE!” cried the army of West Listrans, and pelted toward the door of the East Listran fortress, sneezing and yelling. Their cry echoed off the mountain walls, bouncing into the forest.

~

The army, Leo, and the Princess froze, as “CHARGE….ARGE….arge…arge” echoed around them. They all looked at each other. 

“W…what…” whispered a soldier, “was that…?” 

Leo collected his wits first. “Sounds like a battle cry...” he muttered, looking worried. He began to climb a pine nearby. “I might be able to see what is going on,” he explained, to some of the confused looking soldiers. They nodded, trying to act as if they had already thought of that. After a good deal of cracking branches, and several cries of “Ouch!” (For pine trees are not very friendly), Leo finally reached the top. He squinted toward his village of Ralet, toward the Laslorn Forest. All seemed normal. The palace...the Palace! But the flag of East Listra was gone! In its place, fluttering in the breeze flew the flag of West Listra! Leo nearly fell out of the tree in his haste to tell the others. After the horrible news was communicated to everyone, King Cartow staggered into the grove.   

“What,” he gasped, “is going on here?” and promptly sat down for another breather. The horrible news of West Lista’s triumph was broken to him.  He looked depressed, and was heard to mutter that “nothing ever went right on Fridays.” 

“But!” exclaimed on optimistic young soldier, “The princess has been found!” 

The king nodded, dejectedly. “Very nice…very nice.”  

 He suddenly drew a deep breath. “WELL,” he stated. “What is to be done, to reclaim the honor of East Listra? How shall we be avenged this terrible, this horrible act against us?” The soldiers all looked at their boots. “What, I repeat, is to be done?” asked the king, in louder tones. 

Leo spoke up, a sudden thought entering his head. “Excuse me, sir.” 

“Well, boy?” boomed King Cartow. 

“Perhaps West Listra has used all, or nearly all its troops to take the East Listran fortress. Then their castle would be quite empty of soldiers. Just a matter of taking the castle. I know it’s a risk. They may have left some men. Perhaps this was just a small band who took ours. But…I think it’s worth a try!”  The soldiers murmured in agreement, glad to support any idea rather than having to supply one themselves. 

The King glanced around, then nodded. “Good lad. We shall take your suggestion. Very good plan. Very good.” So they began the long march.

chapter five

(chapters one, two, three&four) 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

It was the morning of November 7^th, and King Cartow and Queen Sita sat on their hard thrones, listening to the commoners’ requests, granting the easy favors, dismissing those who asked too much, and yawning between people. 

“I do wish I had thought to have our thrones cushioned…” muttered the King after the 352 person had finally walked out.  

  Suddenly, as they were considering an old farmer's request for a package of seeds, the little old lady they had hired to brush Celia’s hair rushed into the throne room.  

“Oh my Lord, my Lady,” she gasped, a wild look in her blue eyes, “she’s gone…she’s gone!” The king glanced at his wife. 

She shrugged, and mouthed “Crazy?”  The king looked worried. 

“Perhaps you ought to go lie down…” he began. 

“No, my Lord! Your DAUGTHER! She’s missing! We can’t find her anywhere!” The little lady ran her hands through her white hair in distress.

The king rose hurriedly to his feet. “What?  How do you know she is not just in the castle?” 

The maid gasped to catch her breath. “Oh, oh, we looked everywhere, and finally the stable boy said he had seen her this morning, walking out of the castle toward the Woods of Worden!” 

“What is the meaning of this?” shouted the king, looking wildly around as if someone besides the princess should be accountable for her actions.  Queen Sita fainted.  

 “I can’t say, Sire!” gasped the old maid, though if you had watched her closely, you may have seen a twinkle in her expressive blue eyes, despite the anxious look on her face.   

“Summon the army! Send them out to find her! Scour the entire countryside, the woods, anywhere! EVERYWHERE!” yelled the king, as the queen’s attendants waved perfume under her nose.

The army was called out in full force, with King Cartow at the head, and started out to look for the lost princess. The women of the castle ran around in distraction, telling every one of the dreadful happenings, while the children, wisely realizing that no adults were about to stop them, used the precious freedom very well indeed, sliding down the great staircase banisters and having an grand time. If anyone had bothered to watch the old maid, they would have been somewhat confused to see her chuckle, and walk up the stairs toward the princess’ room.  But no one did. Everyone was much too busy.

~

Amidst the tall trees, the King of West Listra was having a bad sneezing fit. The weeds tickled his nose, and caused his throat to itch, not to mention the continuous sneezing it induced in him. He was not the only one. About half the soldiers were snorting and sniffing, trying to keep down the sneezes, but not succeeding. The other half was shushing the others. 

“This is supposed to be a surprise attack…” grumbled one man. 

“The East Listrans will hear us from miles away…” others muttered. 

One faithful soldier, who had remained with his eyes fixed on the tiny window so far away, gave a shout as a scrap of red fabric waved out the window. “There it is! The red flag!” The message was swept away among the ranks, and soon the whole sneezing army was on its feet, and tramping toward the castle that would soon be theirs.

~

Leo walked briskly through the forest, heading southwest, toward the Woods of Worden. The crisp dry leaves crackled beneath his feet, and he swung his arms back and forth. After an hour or so, he finally entered the Woods of Worden.  He found one squirrel, but it was so tiny he did not have the heart to kill it. He tucked it into his bag, where it promptly curled up and fell asleep.  He noticed a clearing ahead. His pace slowed and his grip tightened on his bow. Something was moving in front of him. He stealthily drew an arrow and crept closer. It sounded large enough to be a deer…

chapter three & four

(first and second chapter)

CHAPTER THREE

“Leo!” called Aria, his mother. “We really need some more meat. Would you mind going hunting soon?” Leo nodded, adding one final rub to the new bow he had just finished. He was a tall boy of eighteen, lean, energetic, and quick. His hair was blonde, bleached even lighter by the sun. 

“Yes mother. I‘ll stay out until I have caught enough for a few meals.” 

 Aria smiled. “Thank you, my dear boy. I don’t think we could get on without you. And…if you could…” she glanced down at little Mary, who was playing with a straw doll, and lowered her voice. “It’s Mary’s sixth birthday tomorrow, November 7^th, you know. If you see some late berries or anything nice…” 

Leo smiled, and nodded, picking up his knife for whittling rough arrows. “Your father’d be proud of you,” added his mother, quietly. Leo looked back, and half smiled, then exited the cottage to start making his arrows. 

Father. Leo hadn’t seen him for 5 years.  He had fought for East Listra, and been captured. At least, that was what they always hoped. Locked up somewhere in West Listra. Who knew, though? He might be dead, by now. Leo wished for the thousandth time that he was free to go fight in the East Listran army. He could help turn the tide. East Listra would win the war! His father would be found, and released, and his mother would be happy, his sister would grow up with a father… Leo shook his head free of daydreams, and focused on his task. Where to find some good sturdy wood...

CHAPTER FOUR

The morning of November 7^th was bright and clear. The sky was a pale blue, and clouds floated lazily through it, watching the leaves and grass rustle gently, while the lakes and rivers sparkled in the sun.   The world seemed peaceful and calm. But many plans were afoot..

In the castle in East Listra, the princess put on her green cloak, took her bundle of food, and set out to find the Woods of Worden, which she had found, lay near the middle of East Listra.

In the fortress of West Listra, the king led his entire army out to cross the border between West and East Listra. They would hide in the trees bordering the Great River, and wait for the fateful red cloth to wave from the window of the castle.

In the village to north of the East Listran fortress, Leo set off at the crack of dawn, hoping for good luck and a lot of meat. “I’ll try the Woods of Worden. Haven’t been there in a while,” he said to himself, as he whistled a cheerful country tune, and walked purposefully off toward the woods.